It was supposed to be a casual game, but the Long March dungeon brought tears to everyone's eye

The old squad leader didn't want to be taken care of.

Especially being taken care of by these three hotheads he had always wanted to protect.

But Kuang Ge didn't respond to him at all.

Kuang Ge simply handed the rough porcelain bowl to the old squad leader.

The paste had already been stirred several times by Brother Kuang with a wooden skewer, and after the heat dissipated, it wasn't too hot to burn your mouth.

"Take it."

Crazy Brother shoved the bowl into the old squad leader's left hand.

The old squad leader stared at the bowl, then at Crazy Brother, the veins on his neck throbbing twice.

He was about to start cursing when he saw Kuang Ge's stubborn eyes.

Those eyes, as if they wanted to take care of an elderly father.

—My old father?

The old squad leader paused for a moment.

How could he have such a feeling?

He's only known this guy, Kuang Ge, for a day.

But what Crazy Brother meant was very clear: if you don't eat, I'll keep holding it up.

The old squad leader looked into Kuang Ge's eyes, which were not filled with pity or sympathy, and remained silent for two seconds before finally giving in.

He snorted coldly, awkwardly took the bowl with his left hand, and began to swallow large mouthfuls of food.

The scalding hot porridge slid down his throat, dispelling the chill of the night and calming the old squad leader's agitated heart a little.

Just as he was eating, he heard a slight noise behind him.

Hawkeye was kneeling on the ground, packing up the old sergeant's marching pack.

The old sergeant would definitely not let them carry those marching packs again.

Or rather, as the leader of the elite squad, one can't really be without any burden at all.

Hawkeye moved all the heavier items to the left side of his backpack.

In this way, when the old squad leader puts on his backpack, his center of gravity will shift to the left, which will reduce the burden on his right shoulder and prevent pressure on his injured arm.

After doing all this, Hawkeye lengthened the shoulder straps of his backpack by an inch and quietly placed it within easy reach of the old sergeant.

Then he turned around and wiped his gun, as if he hadn't done anything at all.

On the other side, Ruan Ruan also came over.

She stretched out her slightly cool little hand and felt around on the old squad leader's chest for a while, checking the tightness of the bandage.

I adjusted the position of the knot hanging around my neck slightly to prevent it from chafing the skin on the back of my neck.

Then Ruan Ruan took a step back, looked at the old squad leader with his mouth full of greasy food, and only managed to utter one word.

"eat."

The doctor's order-like authority made the old squad leader pause for a moment.

He chewed on wild vegetable roots while glancing at the three young men in front of him.

Crazy Bro stood in front to block the wind, Eagle Eye packed the bag from behind, and Softie protected the wounded on the side.

These three rascals work together flawlessly.

The layers of "care" he received made the old sergeant's hardened heart ache terribly.

But he won't say thank you.

In this team, those two words are too light and too unfamiliar.

"Ugh... these wild vegetable roots are too old, they'll get stuck in my teeth."

The old squad leader swallowed the last mouthful of gruel, wiped his mouth haphazardly with the back of his hand, and muttered a critical remark.

But not a single drop of soup remained in his bowl; it was licked clean.

The other elite soldiers around them also woke up one after another.

They watched this scene without saying a word or showing any unusual expression.

Several veterans silently stood on the perimeter, blocking the view from other platoons with their bodies, leaving this small space to the old platoon leader and his three "personnel men".

Their eyes held a silent approval of the three brothers, including Kuang Ge.

To be able to get that stubborn old man to eat obediently—that skill and that kindness—even the company commander would have to give him a thumbs up!

……

At five o'clock in the morning, the sky was just beginning to lighten with a faint glimmer of dawn.

"Sh-!!!"

A sharp yet deep whistle suddenly pierced the darkness before dawn.

Immediately afterward, the company commander's low, yet extremely penetrating roar came from the front.

"All personnel! Extinguish the fire! Cover up the evidence! Prepare to depart!"

The entire camp came alive instantly.

What was just a desolate mountain valley has instantly transformed into a high-speed machine.

The soldiers quickly covered the campfire with soil, collected the remaining charcoal into iron boxes and carried them with them, and each of them was hanging their equipment on their bodies.

At that moment, the old squad leader was grabbing the belt on the ground with one hand, and instinctively tried to use both hands to fasten it.

As soon as he moved his right hand, it was tightly strangled.

His movements froze for a moment.

Just as Kuang Ge was about to step forward to help, he was stopped by a sharp look from the old squad leader.

"Get out of my way!"

The old squad leader let out a low growl.

He took a deep breath, grabbed one end of the belt with his left hand, and bit the other end tightly with his teeth.

Then, with a sudden contraction of his abdomen, he used his teeth and left hand to tighten the wide leather belt around his waist.

Because he used too much force, the corner of his mouth was slightly abraded, and a trace of blood seeped out.

But he didn't even frown.

Fasten the buckles and straighten the hem of the military uniform.

The old sergeant turned around, slung his marching backpack over his shoulder, which Eagle Eye had adjusted, and raised his eyebrows slightly.

The kid's adjustments made him comfortable.

The old squad leader swayed slightly before standing firmly, without trying to hide his right arm, which was slinged across his chest.

Anyway, the company commander won't be coming to see him now.

He openly displayed his injuries, scanning the elite squad that was already lined up in front of him.

Crazy Brother, Eagle Eye, Softie, and more than a dozen elite soldiers—everyone's straw sandals were worn out and even covered in blisters.

But everyone's eyes shone brightly in the dim morning light.

The old squad leader turned to the side, pointed with his left thumb to the endless, dark mountains to the north behind him, his voice icy.

"Ahead, it's over two hundred and forty li."

"It's all mountains, all roads, all tough challenges."

"The regimental headquarters gave a strict order: we must reach Luding Bridge within two days."

"Even if I have to crawl, I'll crawl to the top!"

At this point, the old squad leader paused, his gaze sweeping across each soldier's face like a knife.

"Those who are afraid of losing their legs, those who are afraid of dying, put down your guns now and get to the mess hall to tend the fire!"

"The elite squad needs neither cowards nor burdens!"

A cold, damp wind swept across everyone's face, but no one moved.

Suddenly, a soft laugh broke the tense atmosphere.

Crazy Brother took a step forward.

He slung the submachine gun over his shoulder, tilted his head to look at the old squad leader, and grinned with a roguish smile.

"Squad leader, you're wrong about that."

"Your leg isn't broken yet, how could we dare to break it?"

Crazy Bro patted his thigh and chuckled.

"Don't worry, even if the whole regiment's legs break from running, our elite squad's legs will remain firmly planted on the ground!"

"As long as you can still run, we will never fall behind!"

The old squad leader snorted coldly at Kuang Ge's disrespectful behavior, a hint of a smile flashing in his eyes, but it was quickly covered up by an even more stern expression.

"What arrogance!"

The old squad leader turned around, facing the mountains to the north, and suddenly swung his left hand.

"Then you'd better stick close to me!"

"If you fall behind, I won't even bother to collect your corpse!"

"Elite Squad! Move out—!!"

"yes!!!"